Medicine- rheumatology Flashcards
Most useful investigation for gout and what it would show
Joint aspirate may show negatively birefringent crystals.
Extra-articular features of psoriatic arthropathy
- Skin e.g. psoriasis, nail pitting, onycholysis.
- Eyes e.g. conjunctivitis, uveitis.
The three skin manifestations of SLE
Malar rash
Discoid rash
Photosensitivity
The most sensitive blood test for SLE
ANA -Most sensitive test (98%), not specific, ruling out SLE when negative
SLE demographics
F:M = 10:1 • age of onset in reproductive yr (13-40) • more common and severe in African-Americans and Asians
Who gets a bamboo spine?
Ankylosing spondylitis
Squaring of the vertebral bodies
Vertebral body fusion
Ossification of spinal ligaments
First joints affected in ankylosing spondylitis
The sacroiliac joints
The typical presentation and pain of ankylosing spondylitis
It typically presents before the age of 30 with worsening back pain (initially in the lumbosacral region) and associated morning stiffness.
The back pain typically improves with activity and wakes the patient at night.
Comment on joint stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with prolonged morning stiffness (usually at least one hour of stiffness before the patient can reach maximum movement).
The small joints of the hands and feet are typically affected in rheumatoid arthritis and it is typically symmetrical in nature.
A condition characterized by dry mucous membranes and the antibodies associated with it
Sjogren’s syndrome
Diagnosis can be via a Schirmer test or by the presence of Anti-Ro and Anti-La antibodies (also ANA + RF)
What’s this? Synovial fluid analysis: weakly positively birefringent crystals under polarising light (calcium pyrophosphate crystals)
Pseudogout
With which disorder/ process is pseudogout associated?
Associated with osteoarthritis and resultant chondrocalcinosis
A 51-year-old Swedish woman presents to A+E with frank haemoptysis. Over the last two months, she has had transitory joint pains mainly in her knees and ankles. She has lost 7 kg in the last two months and has experienced night sweats. She has no history of exotic travel and she has lived in the UK for the last 20 years. She has a significant smoking history. On auscultation, you hear crepitations. You also hear heart sounds: I+II+0. You perform a Mantoux test which is negative. You dip her urine which shows blood +++ and protein ++. A CT scan shows a cavitating lung lesion in the right lung base. A lung biopsy shows granuloma formation and necrosis. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA).
Where are Heberden’s nodes?
At the DIPs
Hand signs of OA (3)
Heberdens at the DIPs
Bouchard’s at the PIPs
Thumb squaring
First line treatment for minimal OA
1st line with few joints affected, knee, hand – topical: transdermal NSAIDs preparations, capsaicin
The radiographic hallmarks of OA (4)
- Joint space narrowing
- Subchondral sclerosis
- Subchondral cysts
- Osteophytes
An antibody specific for SLE
Anti-dsDNA
What is the genetic association of RA?
HLA-DR4/DR1 association
Poor prognostic indicators in RA
- young age of onset
- high RF titer
- elevated ESR,
- activity of >20 joints
- presence of extra-articular features
Felty’s syndrome
RA
Splenomegaly
Neutropenia
First line DMARD for RA
Methotrexate (MTX) is the gold standard and is first-line unless contraindicated
Mechanism of action -iniximab, etanercept, adalimumab, golimumab, and certolizumab
These are anti-TNF bDMARDs
Screen RA patients for what kind of diseases?
Cardiovascular. RA assoc with increased mortality It’s the leading cause of death in RA
A renal problem assoc w RA
Amyloidosis
Evaluate all patients with systemic sclerosis for what? And with which tests?
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Pulmonary artery hypertension
Using:
- High resolution CT
- Lung function tests
- Doppler echocardiography
What are the two forms of systemic sclerosis?
CREST and diffuse SS
What does CREST stand for?
- Calcinosis
- Reynaud phenomenon
- Esophageal dysfunction
- Sclerodactyly
- Telangestasia
Antibodies which are seen in CREST but absent in diffuse SS
Anti-centromere antibodies
Which antibodies are seen in 70% of diffuse SS but rarely in CREST?
Antibodies to Scl-70